It has already been established by the World Health Organization that the risk of getting COVID-19 infection is increased in crowded and poorly ventilated settings, because the virus passes between people through infected respiratory particles in the form of droplets and aerosols.
If implemented as a part of a comprehensive package of measures, such as physical distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand cleaning, improving indoor ventilation can reduce the risk of the virus spreading indoors.
However, Joshua Agar, a civil engineer specializing in wind dynamics, says the guidelines on ventilation issued by government agencies are “vague” and do not call for changes like installing filters in ventilation systems.
“The call to revamp the ventilation system of indoor establishments are still missing. Specific evidence-based provisions and implementation of the filtration procedures for indoor establishments and air-conditioned modes of transportation are still missing,” he added, noting the transportation department has yet to install adequate filters in trains and air-conditioned modes of transportation.
Although the Department of Health has stressed the importance of proper ventilation in reducing COVID-19 transmission, there have been no details and guidelines on how it is to be achieved properly in different situations. It recommended keeping windows or doors open or placing an electric fan in front of a window but in a tropical country like the Philippines that has been highly dependent on air-conditioning, more has to be done when it comes to improving the quality and safety of ventilation.
Scientists have been arguing over how the virus spreads. Aerosol experts have been saying since the beginning of the pandemic that the virus is airborne. The WHO had long held that COVID-19 is transmitted primarily through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. It took until 2021 for the agency to acknowledge that the coronavirus is transmitted through aerosols too.
In a country where most workplaces, restaurants and commercial centers are air-conditioned, guidelines for ventilation when it comes to those areas, including all air-conditioned modes of public transport, have to be more than “vague.” If the Department of Health does not have the experts to come up with ventilation guidelines that can allow air-conditioned spaces to be used safely and with confidence by the public, tapping the private sector shouldn’t be a problem.
What is taking government so long to update ventilation and air-conditioning standards to help us deal with the pandemic and achieve an added sense of safety and normalcy faster?*
